This invention relates generally to fire fighting, and more particularly to use of fire fighting vehicles, in relatively inaccessible areas.
Many areas such as in crowded urban zones are relatively inaccessible to modern fire fighting vehicles, which are generally of large size. Such inaccessible zones include narrow streets and alleys, between buildings and homes, wildlands and forest fire areas. There is need for vehicles and vehicle transported equipment that is capable of accessing such inaccessible zones, and of successfully fighting fires in such zones.
It is a major object of the invention to provide fire fighting methods and apparatus meeting the above needs, as well as other needs, as will appear. Basically, the invention provides a fire fighting unit to be installed and transported on a relatively small vehicle, comprising, in combination:
a) frame structure sized for installation on the vehicle,
b) fluid supply means carried on the frame structure, and including
i) a water supply tank,
ii) a fire fighting foam tank,
iii) a compressed gas source,
c) fluid delivery lines from the tanks, and controls including pumps carried on the frame structure, for controlling fluid delivery via lines, and in mixed condition to at least one fluid delivery nozzle.
As will be seen, the small size vehicle typically includes one of the following
i) a relatively small sized fire truck,
ii) an all terrain vehicle,
iii) a relatively small sized truck,
and wherein at least one of the nozzles is carried by the vehicle, in spaced relation to the frame structure.
Another object includes provision of at least one nozzle carried in series with a fluid delivery hose, the hose carried by said frame structure. As will be seen, a fluid delivery hose may be on a hose reel carried by the installed frame structure. The latter may include a first frame structure carrying the fluid supply tanks, and a second frame structure carrying the controls and including pumps.
A further object is to provide such controls to have manually operable control elements exposed at the exterior of said frame structure. The controls may have manually operable control elements exposed at an end of the second frame structure which is spaced from the first frame structure. Further, the vehicle may have forward and rearward ends, the exposed control elements located at the rearward end of the vehicle. Accordingly, the operator need not stand at the side of the vehicle, which may be relatively maneuverable as in a narrow alley way, but he is enabled to operate the controls at the open rear of the vehicle. The controls may include a fluid mixing zone to which the fluid delivery lines from the truck extend; and also valves in the lines extending from the tanks.
The method of operation typically includes
i) maneuvering the relatively small vehicle into a relatively inaccessible area where a fire exists; and
ii) operating the controls at the vehicle end to deliver a mixture of water, foam and compressed air to the nozzle.
The method may also include supporting the nozzle on top of the vehicle, to be freely accessible for maneuver, in narrow driveways and zones.
Yet another object is to provide multiple small size fire fighting vehicles to be maneuvered close to a fire or fire front, the vehicle having length between about 6 and 10 feet, and narrow width, and further characterized by
at least one nozzle carried on the vehicle,
at least one tank carried by the vehicle to supply fire abating pressurized fluid including pressurized foam to the nozzle, said at least one tank located at a relatively low level on the vehicle,
Means may be provided on the small vehicle to control pressurized fluid (including fire suppression foam) delivery from the nozzle or nozzles on the vehicle, and to have one of the following forms:
i) a spray in cone form
ii) mist droplets
iii) a narrow stream of fluid.
The method of fire fighting employing self-propelled small vehicles as referred to includes:
propelling and maneuvering said relatively small vehicle across terrain to an area where a fire exists,
delivering fluid from said tank to said nozzle, in pressurized condition,
and maneuvering said nozzle to direct fluid into the fire.
The above method may include providing a fluid source or sources at a selected distance from the fire, and returning said vehicles to said source or sources fro replenishing fluid into the vehicle tanks, as needed, for subsequent use of the vehicle in fighting the fire. The fluid source may advantageously include a tank or tanks or a carrier or transport vehicle configured to carry certain of the fire-fighting vehicles, to be off-loaded in the vicinity of a fire; whereby close access to a fire front can be made available, in rough terrain zones, with fire-fighting fluid delivery being provided from small highly maneuverable vehicles, which can quickly retreat from rapidly spreading fire zones, if needed. The small vehicles can carry tools, saws, hoses and nozzles, gurneys for evacuating injured humans, and can be radio controlled, and positioned by or from a control center, as for example another vehicle, or by satellite if needed.
These and other objects and advantages of the invention, as well as the details of an illustrative embodiment, will be more fully understood from the following specification and drawings, in which: